Kate Cavanaugh, a social worker in the WRAP Program at Prairie Park School, center, talks with Darian McHugh, left, and her brother Dillon, as they work on colorful creations in this May 2001 file photo. The city commission would like to increase aid to the program so it can retain at least one more WRAP worker; state budget cuts made it necessary for the Lawrence school district to significantly decrease its funding to the program.

The future of the WRAP program hinges mainly on the outcome of the school district’s ongoing teacher-salary negotiations.

But it’s not looking good for the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center program that places social workers in Lawrence schools to help troubled or at-risk students. WRAP – Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities – serves about 3,000 Lawrence students.

“There’s been no final decisions made, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that when you only have a couple million dollars, and you have $8 (million) to $10 million worth of requests, you’re probably not going to fund a lot of things,” Superintendent Randy Weseman said.

Administrators and board members say they have less than $2 million to finance teacher raises and $6.5 million in other requests. That includes a bid of more than $300,000 for WRAP.

Before other funding requests are decided, the district and teachers must reach a salary agreement.

Currently, negotiators are more than $1 million apart on how much to add to the teachers’ salary schedule.

“My feeling is that it appears to me we’re not going to have much money left after we finish trying to give our employees a raise,” said Craig Grant, the school board’s vice president.

‘No reason to panic’

Since 1997, grants had been the predominant funding for WRAP, but that money has run out.

Last year, the school district, along with city and county commissioners, agreed to fund most of WRAP’s $1.1 million annual costs.

This year, the county has committed $225,000 for next year’s budget. But even that appears to be in peril.

City commissioners on Tuesday said they would only consider a new $250,000 commitment if the school district continued to fund it. And County Commissioners Charles Jones and Bob Johnson said they could see the county taking back its commitment for the 2008 budget if the school district and city weren’t on board.

“It was built on that kind of three-legged stool principle, and if the other two legs are gone, I doubt we’d stay in,” Jones said.

Bert Nash leaders on Wednesday said they would wait to see what happens with the school district’s budget. They also indicated they expected to operate WRAP with its full 21 full- and part-time staff members in Lawrence, at least through the fall semester. That’s largely because last year’s county and city contributions run through December.

“We’ll just wait until that time comes. There’s no reason right now to panic. There’s no reason to say, ‘OK, we’ve got to institute any cuts to the program,'” said David Johnson, chief executive officer of Bert Nash.

Budget issues

WRAP supporters have touted its value and even said they believe it has deterred violence in schools.

“It’s helpful to be able to go to someone in the school during the day when something happens that’s upsetting to them,” said Paula Kissinger, whose son will be a high school sophomore this year.

Kissinger credits a junior high WRAP worker with saving her son from suicide.

School and city leaders said the decisions were not an indictment on the quality of the program. Mayor Sue Hack called the decision “extremely difficult.”

“It isn’t that we’re not sensitive to it,” said Hack, also a former Lawrence teacher. “It’s just that we’ve got a lot of things to balance right now. We’ve got to be judicious. That’s where I think this decision is coming from.”

Prevention efforts

School district leaders said their final decision is on hold until the negotiations process runs its course, but they have said it appears unlikely money will be available for WRAP or other requests.

Board member Rich Minder said the district invests in mental health in several ways with prevention workers, school social workers and psychologists. He also said he believed more mental health workers were needed in schools, but, with limited ways to raise revenue, schools have to concentrate on their education mission and defer public health services to cities and counties.

“We are not the public health entity in this community. We do what we can,” he said.

Jones, a county commissioner, said it would be “a pity to see the WRAP partnership dissolve.”

“I know what made it work, and what made it work was three entities coming together,” he said.

David Johnson said the county contributes 15 percent to 20 percent of Bert Nash’s annual revenue, the most of any local entity.

He also said he was counting on lobbying by WRAP supporters playing a role in the school district’s and city’s final decisions.

“I’m entering into that process with some confidence that this is a proven program, and they know it’s going to make a difference for the kids,” David Johnson said.